According to fresh reports in England, Manchester United have joined the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Manager Erik ten Hag is insistent on bringing in a central midfielder this summer and the Croatian has been identified as a potential target.
Mateo Kovacic is a four-time Champions League winner, thrice with Real Madrid and once with Chelsea. He was one of the most important midfielders for the English club in the previous seasons, but this campaign it all went wrong. He has fallen down the pecking order due to the team’s good squad depth and a dip in form.
The 29-year-old used to come off the bench at Real Madrid, while he was one of the key starters in midfield along with N’Golo Kante for the Blues. This season, after missing a series of matches due to injury, he found it difficult to regain his place at Stamford Bridge as the club brought in new signings in the January window.
According to The Guardian, Manchester United want to reinforce their midfield by signing Mateo Kovacic this summer. However, they will have to compete against Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool to secure the player’s signature. The Blues are unlikely to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge because they will be going through an overhaul.
The Red Devils wanted to sign a ball carrier since the summer of last season. They made multiple attempts to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. However, those attempts failed and United signed Christian Eriksen as a free agent and Marcel Sabitzer on loan. However, they have different special attributes and are not ball carriers.
🚨 BREAKING | Manchester United are trying to beat Manchester City in the race to sign Mateo Kovacic! 🇭🇷🔥
(La Gazzetta dello Sport) pic.twitter.com/KjDyn8Me4v
— Modir Naciri (@NaciriModir) June 3, 2023
Mateo Kovacic is what Manchester United have wanted for a long time. He is an excellent ball carrier who uses his dribbling skills to make long driving runs at times. However, he used to sit back most of the time at Chelsea and distribute the ball. He played a role similar to that of Casemiro at United.
Why Manchester United Should Look at Other Alternatives Before Signing Mateo Kovacic?
It is unlikely for Mateo Kovacic to start at Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The clubs are interested in him to increase their squad depth and deal with the cup matches. However, he may start at Liverpool considering that Naby Keita and James Milner will be leaving the club this summer.
Erik ten Hag has improved almost every player at United this season and will do the same for Kovacic. Nonetheless, the Croatian midfielder is 29-years-old meaning he will not be a long-term signing. Moreover, being a short-term addition, the expectation will be for quick success. It will be a better option for the Red Devils to look at other alternatives in Europe.
United had placed Jude Bellingham on top of their transfer list, but Real Madrid have secured the youngster’s signature. The Premier League side need to dig deep to find a player who can deliver quick success and is also an option for the long-term. The Red Devils will need a player who is fast in transition and who can beat the press to create chances.
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Mateo Kovacic is not exactly a fast player but Manchester United can have him as a backup option. The Croatian will serve as a great second-choice midfielder when Eriksen or Casemiro will be rested. Moreover, the club will be letting go of either Fred or Scott McTominay this summer.
Meanwhile, Marcel Sabitzer’s future at the club is also a question mark as of now. It is not likely that the Red Devils would sign the Austrian midfielder on a permanent basis unless their preferred option is unavailable. Manchester United bringing in Mateo Kovacic as a backup midfielder by paying a small fee would be a profitable deal.
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